Quinoa

Quinoa is all the rage these days--but for good reason! It's a whole grain that has the most complete protein of any grain and it's low glycemic, which makes it a great option for your grain serving on your dinner plate.

However, I kept feeling like all the quinoa recipes I made were pretty similar...black beans, bell peppers, etc. etc. I continued my search, though, and have found a couple that were pretty original and I really enjoyed. Baby Badger has yet to acquire a taste for this grain, so the most he's eaten of these is a couple bites, but we celebrate every bite :) Daddy Badger doesn't always like quinoa, but he DID enjoy these two dishes.

I will just link to the original sites. I always just try to make the best of what I have in the kitchen, so I've made changes when I've cooked these, noted that below each link. Try them, I think you'll like them!

Quinoa Salad with Grapefruit, Avocado and Arugula
Notes: Watch your serving size on this. Quinoa is not a low-calorie food: it has lots of naturally-occurring, albeit good for you fats, as do avocados. Also, I have made this without the mint, without the arugula (on a bed of spring greens instead, or spinach, although the strong arugula flavor is a nice touch), and I've never added the Serrano pepper because I am the only one in my home who would be able to handle that! It's fairly flexible, though it wouldn't be the same without the grapefruit, for sure.

Crispy Quinoa Cakes
Notes: I used whole wheat flour, I didn't have wine vinegar so I used cider vinegar, I have an aversion to buying frozen spinach so I used fresh that I chopped up very fine, and I didn't use cheese or chopped nuts. I also did not make the roasted red pepper sauce that is suggested, though it sounds yummy so maybe I'll try to do it next time.